Yashiro sat perched on a thick branch, fingers locked tightly around Nico Robin's wrist as he gasped for breath. Two consecutive C-rank jutsu had drained most of his chakra, leaving his limbs trembling with exhaustion.
Just as he turned his head, Nicole Robin's small, adorable face filled his vision — and a wicked thought crossed his mind. He should give her a good knock on the head for once. If he hadn't happened to release part of his chakra seal today, she might've been trampled into paste by that wild boar.
Honestly… how did she even provoke a monster that size? With her strength right now, she wouldn't last a second against it. Good thing I reacted fast enough to pull her out of danger.
A smug grin crept onto Yashiro's face. He raised his small hand, ready to flick Nicole Robin's forehead—
Four arms suddenly sprouted from her back and wrapped him to the tree like a bound roast.
Yashiro: (°Δ°`)
His chakra was entirely spent, and without it he was basically a slightly sturdier six-year-old. Against Robin's Hana-Hana Fruit ability, he didn't stand a chance.
When Robin had been yanked up the tree by Yashiro's jutsu earlier, she'd been shocked speechless by his strange powers. She had kept her eyes glued to him the whole time—so the moment he tried to hit her, she trapped him without hesitation.
"What was THAT for?! I saved your life!" Yashiro snapped, straining his neck in outrage as Robin bonked him on the head again.
Nicole Robin narrowed her eyes, pinched his cheeks between her fingers, and stretched them mercilessly. "Save me? And then you immediately try to hit me? Don't joke with me."
She leaned closer, her little devilish smile curving upward. "Now tell me… who exactly are you? Why can you use such strange techniques? Fireballs coming out of your mouth, rocks rising from flat earth—you're nothing like a normal child."
"I… yewww… firsht… let go… I can't… talk!" Yashiro mumbled through squished cheeks.
Robin finally released him, and his face snapped back like rubber.
Yashiro blinked a few times, mind racing. How do I talk my way out of this?
"What are you plotting now? Trying to think of how to fool me?" Robin poked his cheek accusingly.
Yashiro forced a stiff smile. "Little Robin, how can you read my mind so well?"
Then, after straightening his posture, he spoke with exaggerated seriousness:
"Little Robin… I can only tell you the truth if you promise not to tell anyone. This secret is so shocking you MUST stay calm."
Robin swallowed. His serious tone actually made her nervous. Could he really be someone important?
"…Alright. I won't tell anyone," she said with equal seriousness.
Yashiro took a dramatic breath. "In truth… Little Robin… I am—your long-lost older brother."
Robin stared at him, blank.
"You were just a baby back then, so you don't remember," he continued solemnly. "But I remember clearly. We went to the beach together and I carried you—about the size of Old Man Jakku's puppy."
He gestured with his tiny hands.
Nicole Robin's expression darkened instantly.
Nicole Robin: (╯‵ ′)╯︵ ┻━┻
"YASHIRO, GO TO HELL!"
She smashed him over the head with her book, followed by a barrage of tiny fists pounding all over his face.
Bound and helpless, Yashiro could only take each hit with a whimper. By the end, his cheeks were swollen, his nose bruised, and his whole face was puffed up like a dumpling.
"Okay, okay! No more jokes!" he finally cried. "The truth is—I'm a ninja from the Hidden Leaf Village of Konoha."
Robin paused, lowering her book slightly.
"Konoha is a new village," Yashiro continued, carefully weaving his story. "If you have talent, you can become a ninja. I'm one of the few gifted enough to learn ninjutsu."
Robin frowned. "I know of Wano Country—famous for swordsmen—and I've read about ninjas there. But I've never heard of this Konoha Village."
Yashiro stiffened. This kid knows WAY too much.
"That's normal," he said confidently. "Konoha is newly established—of course it's not in old books. They've only had four Hokage so far."
Robin tilted her head, thinking it over. "Hmm… maybe."
"And Robin," Yashiro added with a lecturing tone, "you shouldn't read ALL the time. There's a saying: 'You'll learn more walking a thousand miles than reading a thousand books.'"
Robin didn't fully buy it, but she nodded slowly.
"…Alright. Let's continue this next time. I have to get to work at Paiwa Tavern or I won't get paid—and then I won't get to eat!"
Yashiro wriggled helplessly. Seeing his urgency, Robin sighed and released her ability.
The moment her arms vanished, Yashiro grinned like a fox, darted forward, and flicked her forehead lightly.
"It won't be that easy next time," he laughed, leaping off the tree and sprinting away. He didn't notice the faint, blue, translucent bug slipping quietly beneath his collar.
Running through the forest, Yashiro panted heavily, sweat dripping down his forehead. The cold wind chilled his skin, making him shiver as he finally reached the Paiwa Tavern by the pier—right on time.
He rushed to the dish-washing station and dove into work. Between scrubbing plates, he bragged about the "ninja arts" he'd mastered, earning looks of admiration from the surrounding kids.
He was closest to Rouji — a cheerful boy with a sick mother and a missing father lost at sea years ago. Rouji worked to help pay for his mother's medicine, and thanks to Paiwa letting him take leftovers home, his mother's health had gradually improved.
Yashiro felt genuinely happy for him.
"HEY! YOU BRATS DONE YET?!" Paiwa's rough voice boomed through the kitchen, making everyone jolt and drop plates into the sink with a splash.
They hurried their pace.When Yashiro finally stood up from his stool, the world suddenly tilted.
His knees buckled.
Rouji grabbed him just in time. "Brother Yashiro! Are you sick?!"
"I'm fine," Yashiro said quickly, forcing a confident grin. "Just sat too long. Legs fell asleep. Come on—let's eat!"
But another wave of dizziness hit him hard.
Rouji tightened his grip. "Let me help you."
Yashiro opened his mouth to refuse—then felt himself sway again.
"…Thanks," he admitted weakly.
He leaned against Rouji's shoulder as they walked toward the kitchen.
Why do I feel so weak…? Like my whole body's been drained…
A side effect of chakra depletion? Or… something else?
Just as the thought passed through his mind, a faint chill crept down his spine.
Something was very wrong.